“Broncos country thank you all for the love you showed me and my family these past four years,” Stewart wrote. “But, it’s time for me to move on and I’m looking forward to the next chapter. I still got a whole lotta 🏈 left in me so I’ll see y’all real soon.”

Stewart was due roughly $5MM for 2019. By releasing him, the Broncos will save roughly $3.57MM against the cap with $2.8MM in dead money left over.

The Broncos signed Stewart to a two-year deal worth $4.25MM in 2015 and he quickly proved his worth. Stewart started in nearly all of his 58 games for the Broncos and recorded both a forced fumble and a sack in the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory.

Stewart saw some time at cornerback and free safety in ’17, but he played mostly at strong safety last year. This figures to be a crowded safety market, which is a bit of a double-edged sword for Stewart. Plenty of teams are in need of safeties, but Stewart will be a lower priority than Earl Thomas, Adrian Amos, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and others.

Stewart graded out as just the No. 77 ranked safety in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. His 59.6 overall score was a massive step back from his first two seasons in Denver, which included a Pro Bowl-worthy performance in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

]]>2AFC Notes: Green, Broncos, Raidershttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/12/afc-notes-green-broncos-raiders
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/12/afc-notes-green-broncos-raiders#commentsSat, 03 Dec 2016 00:53:28 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=45900Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green is progressing in his recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered Nov. 20, but he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Eagles, according to Bob Holzman of ESPN. Although the 3-7-1 Bengals are all but out of playoff contention, the five-time Pro Bowler has no plans to shut himself down for the season. “I want to get back,” he told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “No matter what type of season we have, I’m not the type of guy to cash it in. So, whenever it’s ready, I’ll be ready to go. But, I’m not going to rush it because I’m not going to have this be a continuing issue.”

More from the AFC:

Safety Darian Stewart‘s four-year, $28MM extension with the Broncos includes $13MM in fully guaranteed money, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. He has already received $3.5MM of a $7MM signing bonus, the other half of which he’ll collect March 15. Stewart’s $6MM base salary for 2017 is fully guaranteed, while his $4.5MM salary for 2018 is guaranteed for injury only and will convert to a full guarantee on the fifth day of the 2018 league year.

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio still expects defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. to return this year, Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com tweets. Del Rio is uncertain when Edwards would come back, however. The second-year man went on injured reserve with a hip ailment prior to Week 1 and still hasn’t played this season. If the Raiders designate Edwards to return from IR, they’ll have a three-week window to activate him.

]]>1Broncos Sign Darian Stewart To Extensionhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/11/broncos-sign-darian-stewart-to-extension
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/11/broncos-sign-darian-stewart-to-extension#commentsSat, 26 Nov 2016 21:08:00 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=45312The Broncos have seen enough from Darian Stewart in his two years with the team to know they want him around long-term, agreeing to terms with the safety on a four-year extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

It’s a four-year deal worth approximately $28MM for Stewart, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The deal is worth up to $30MM, with $17.5MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

This will make Stewart a top-12 safety in terms of AAV and, interestingly, the highest-paid safety on the team. T.J. Ward will make $5.75MM next season as part of a four-year deal he signed in 2014. But the Pro Bowl safety will enter the final year of his contract in 2017, with Stewart — the starting secondary’s lone non-Pro Bowl component –now looking set to be a part of this defense for a longer period of time.

The 28-year-old former UDFA was set to become a free agent in 2017. This locks up another player from Denver’s dominant defense. Stewart (44 tackles, three interceptions this season) joins Derek Wolfe, Brandon Marshall and Von Miller as defensive starters the Broncos have re-upped this year.

Klis reports the Broncos initiated this pact in advance of the free safety’s three-turnover game against the Saints. The Broncos signed Stewart to a two-year deal worth $4.25MM in 2015, and the former Rams and Ravens defender has been a quality starter since arriving. He made a game-sealing interception in his first contest as a Bronco and has started every game in which he’s played since, also forcing a fumble and recording a sack in Super Bowl 50.

Denver’s starting secondary of Stewart, Ward, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris is locked up through next season, with Talib and Harris signed through 2019. Stewart is now signed through ’20 instead of joining DeMarcus Ware and Sylvester Williams as walk-year starting defenders.

The Broncos drafted safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks this year, pointing to a possible Stewart free agency defection like so many Broncos defenders in recent years. But the seventh-year player, who signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in 2014, will now will enter next season as a rare starter younger than 30 on a fourth contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

]]>1West Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Kubiak, Stewarthttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/01/west-notes-raiders-chargers-kubiak-stewart
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/01/west-notes-raiders-chargers-kubiak-stewart#commentsSat, 30 Jan 2016 22:25:06 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=24417In the news plenty this week for their flirtations with other cities, the Raiders haven’t engaged in any formal talks with Oakland about a new stadium, Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Although the Raiders have discussed another one-year lease to play in their current home, O.co Coliseum, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf confirmed no negotiations on a long-term playing site have occurred since relocation meetings took place Jan. 12 in Houston.

“I recognize that the Raiders have a powerful brand and that they will always have options outside of Oakland,” Schaaf said. “And, I remain committed to proving to them that Oakland has the most to offer them.”

The Raiders have been since connected to San Antonio, San Diego and, most recently, Las Vegas in their desperate attempt to leave Oakland and secure a new stadium. But Los Angeles will still be their most likely landing spot if the Chargers reach a deal with San Diego on a stadium agreement. They remain second in line to share the Inglewood stadium with the Rams if the Chargers end up succeeding on their leverage move in San Diego.

Any Chargers deal for a publicly aided new stadium will likely need to be finalized by this summer, Artz writes, in order to get the initiative on the November ballot. If not, the Raiders’ Los Angeles path clears.

“If the alternative is no deal in Oakland … or going to this fabulous new facility and not having to put any equity into it, it would be very hard for a reasonable businessman to turn that down,” stadium consultant Marc Ganis told Artz.

Here is the latest news on the Raiders and some of the other Western-division franchises.

In a long profile of top Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, who will presumably be involved along with Dean Spanos when the two sides resume negotiations, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Peter Rowe hears the Chargers were disinterested about the new stadium site when the sides last talked. This, of course, was before the owners designated Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood site as Los Angeles’ new football epicenter. “[Fabiani] told us the Chargers were agnostic when it came to the stadium’s new location — it really didn’t matter to them. He told us to settle on a site, spend your time analyzing these two sites and then come up with a financial plan. That’s what we did,” said Tony Manolatos, spokesman for San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s stadium task force, “and then he was criticizing us every step of the way.” Prior to the owners’ decision, this stance, county supervisor Ron Roberts told Rowe, was designed to make it look like the Chargers were “unloved” in San Diego.

Spanos overplayed his hand in his all-out pursuit of Los Angeles, Nick Canepa of the Union-Tribune writes. With talks set to likely increase between the Chargers and San Diego after being dormant for months, Canepa writes the city’s business power structure need to put their weight toward making the team’s preferred downtown stadium happen.

When Mike Shanahan left his post as the then-Super Bowl champion 49ers OC in early 1995 to become the Broncos’ head coach, the 49ers wanted to give their OC job to then-33-year-old Gary Kubiak, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Kubiak instead accepted the same position with Shanahan in Denver and held that job for 11 seasons, which eventually led to his return in 2015.

Officially questionable, Broncos safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart each vowed to play in Super Bowl 50. While Ward’s ankle injury isn’t expected to keep him out, Stewart may have a harder time playing effectively. The first-year Broncos safety’s sprained MCL’s made it difficult thus far for lateral movement, with the former Ravens back-line bastion being able to only run in a straight line in his week off from practice, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Stewart told media, including Pat Graham of the Associated Press, “Without a doubt in my mind, I’m playing.”

]]>1AFC Notes: Brady, Broncos, Jaguarshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/01/afc-notes-brady-broncos-jaguars
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/01/afc-notes-brady-broncos-jaguars#commentsMon, 25 Jan 2016 02:09:25 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=24222Tom Brady‘s season ended on a sour note Sunday when the Patriots dropped a 20-18 decision to Denver in the AFC title game. Now the 38-year-old will once again turn his focus to the Deflategate scandal that dominated headlines last offseason. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes, the NFL’s appeal regarding Judge Richard Berman’s Sept. 3 reversal of Brady’s four-game suspension will take place on March 3. If the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rules in favor of the league, Brady might have to sit out the early portion of the 2016 season.

Despite signing a contract extension through 2017 this week, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is facing a make-or-break 2016 campaign, opines Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. Jags players and prospective free agents are aware that Bradley is on the hot seat, according to Frenette, who believes the 49-year-old must win at least eight games next season in order to return in ’17. The Bradley-led Jags have gone 12-36 in three years. Despite only winning five games this season, a career best for Bradley, the team does finally appear to be trending upward.

Before Bradley promoted ex-defensive line coach Todd Wash to D-coordinator this week, Wash had to sit in on interviews Bradley conducted with other candidates. That made Wash “uncomfortable,” he told reporters (link via Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union). “In the back of your mind, it’s human nature, you want to be the defensive coordinator,” he added.

]]>3AFC West Notes: Crabtree, Penn, Stewart, Igerhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/12/michael-crabtree-donald-penn-darian-stewart-bob-iger
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/12/michael-crabtree-donald-penn-darian-stewart-bob-iger#commentsFri, 11 Dec 2015 18:25:46 +0000https://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=22678After betting on himself during the 2015 offseason, signing a modest one-year deal in the hopes of having a big season and increasing his value, Raiders wideout Michael Crabtree is happy to have a new extension in place, which will keep him from worrying about dealing with the free agent market again this winter.

“It’s always nice to get it done, right?” Crabtree said on Thursday, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “That way we can just go play football. You ain’t worried about where you’re going to be next year and all that stuff. It’s pretty neat to know you’re wanted and you want to be on a team and you’re here.”

Here’s more on Crabtree’s new contract, along with some other items out of the AFC West:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has a few more specific details on Crabtree’s four-year deal with the Raiders, tweeting that it can be worth up to $35.2MM, with a base value of $34MM. The pact doesn’t include a signing bonus, but Crabtree will make $11MM in 2016 and a total of $18MM by 2017. That $18MM is guaranteed for injury, according to Bair.

As Bair details at CSNBayArea.com, veteran defensive back Charles Woodson believes Crabtree’s new contract – and his decision to stay with Oakland – is a sign that this isn’t the same old Raiders. “That’s great, because you hear that people don’t want to come to Oakland, that they don’t want to play here,” Woodson said. “Things are starting to change. With Crabtree signing his deal, other free agents will take notice once that time comes around. They’ll want to know why he wanted to stick around and play in Oakland. He’ll be a great ambassador for guys who are undecided.”

Could left tackle Donald Penn be the next Raiders player to sign an extension? He’s not focusing on a deal right now, but says he’d like to spend the rest of his career in Oakland, as Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes.

Safety Darian Stewart doesn’t have Pro Bowl nods on his resume, like many of his fellow defensive backs in Denver, but the Broncos coaching staff has referred to him as the quarterback of the secondary, and his contract is looking like one of the bargains of the 2015 free agent period. Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press has the story.

Earlier today, we rounded up several quotes from Disney CEO Bob Iger on the Carson stadium proposal put forth by the Chargers and Raiders. Scott M. Reid of the Orange County Register has a few more comments from Iger, who says a Carson stadium would be well-positioned to attract football fans from Orange County.

]]>1Sunday Roundup: Borland, Saints, Mariotahttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/07/sunday-roundup-borland-saints-mariota
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/07/sunday-roundup-borland-saints-mariota#respondSun, 05 Jul 2015 17:43:10 +0000http://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=18323Chris Borland surprised the football world when he announced his retirement in March on the heels of a promising rookie campaign. Perhaps even more surprising was that he agreed to return three-quarters of his signing bonus to the 49ers, a sum of over $460,000. Speaking at the 2015 Legends of Wisconsin Golf Classic last week, Borland was asked about his decisions and emphasized that his choice to retire was motivated by health concerns. As Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, Borland said he decided to walk away based on “a combination of my own experience, along with a lot of data that is out there regarding long-term health effects of head injuries. And I play a position and a style of play where I was susceptible to the worst of it. I played a physical brand of football and played through some things where it makes sense for me.”

When asked about why he returned a large portion of the signing bonus, Borland said simply, “I signed a contract. I was living by the contract.” As for his future plans, Borland said a trip to Europe is next on his agenda, but otherwise, “I’ve got a few pretty decent options. I’m not going to hurry up and start a career. I’m going to take my time.”

Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com thinks Marcus Mariota is determined to be present at Titans training camp, though it is possible his agents could convince him to stay away. The holdup in the team’s contract negotiations with its potential quarterback of the future is offset language, and Kuharsky writes that GM Ruston Webster simply needs to get Mariota to camp, either by convincing him the Titans are not going to move off their offset philosophy or by coming off their offset philosophy.

Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the Browns are pretty pleased with their current tight end situation, and she does not foresee the team adding to its TE corps. She also says Cleveland is hopeful that one of its talented young running backs will ultimately separate himself from the pack, but that the Browns will distribute the rushing duties fairly evenly to open the season.

]]>0AFC Notes: Browns, Housler, Titans, Jags, Patshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/afc-notes-browns-housler-titans-jags-pats
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/afc-notes-browns-housler-titans-jags-pats#respondMon, 23 Mar 2015 20:44:15 +0000http://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=15529Having lost Jordan Cameron to the Dolphins and missed out on Charles Clay, who signed with the Bills, the Browns are considering tight end Rob Housler, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. According to Fowler, the Browns have had discussions with Housler, and there’s mutual interest between the two sides, but no visit has been planned and no deal is imminent. Housler, who turned 27 last week, caught just nine balls for the Cardinals last season after recording 84 combined receptions in 2012 and 2013.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean takes a closer look at Tommy Smith‘s decision to retire as CEO of the Titans, reporting that the decision was made in part because of a shift in thinking within the club’s ownership group. According to Wyatt, there was no longer a consensus among ownership that Smith’s wife, Susie Adams Smith, daughter of the late Bud Adams, should be the franchise’s controlling owner. The Titans are currently on the lookout for a new president and CEO.

Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley discussed one running back his team landed and one that got away, telling reporters today, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitterlinks) that GM David Caldwell has done “a lot of research” on Bernard Pierce, and that the team “held [its] stance” in pursuit of DeMarco Murray.

2:25pm: After losing Rahim Moore to the Texans, the Broncos have reached an agreement with a free agent safety of their own. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports (via Twitter) that the team has struck a two-year deal with former Ravens safety Darian Stewart.

Stewart met with the Broncos earlier this week and visited the Falcons today. The Giants were also said to have interest in the 26-year-old, but Stewart apparently didn’t make it to New York for a visit.

Prior to the 2014 season, Stewart had alternated between reserve and starting roles in St. Louis during four seasons with the Rams. The Ravens made him a full-time starter last year, and he delivered 56 tackles to go along with an interception and a forced fumble. According to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required), Stewart ranked as a solid starter, placing 30th out of 87 qualified safeties.

]]>0FA Rumors: Spiller, Bowe, Falcons, Ridleyhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/fa-rumors-spiller-bowe-falcons-ridley
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/fa-rumors-spiller-bowe-falcons-ridley#respondFri, 13 Mar 2015 14:00:16 +0000http://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=15085The rumors connecting C.J. Spiller to New Orleans continue to trickle in on Friday. After we heard on Wednesday that the Saints are “in the mix” for the former Bills running back, a Thursday report indicated that the team is “very high” on him. Today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that strong interest is mutual.

The Saints have already re-signed Mark Ingram to a $4MM annual salary, and were cap-strapped heading into this week, but the team has made a number of cost-cutting moves, and could have more on the way. Spiller will likely command a deal in the same neighborhood as Ingram’s, so it’s possible that New Orleans will have the flexibility to complete such a deal, but nothing’s finalized yet.

Here’s more on free agency:

Following up on a Thursday report which suggested that the Browns have interest in Dwayne Bowe, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) classifies Cleveland’s interest in Bowe as “strong.” Even after adding Brian Hartline in free agency, the Browns are probably in need of at least one more starting wide receiver.

After paying a visit to the Broncos, free agent safety Darian Stewart is headed to Atlanta to visit the Falcons, source tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver had been hoping to lock up Stewart to help replace the departing Rahim Moore, but the former Raven continues to weigh his options.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds (via Twitter) that the Falcons also plan on bringing in a tight end for a visit today, though it’s not clear exactly who that player will be.

Stevan Ridley and the Cowboys could be a good match on a one-year, prove-it deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds (via Twitter) that there’s “definitely interest” on both sides, but nothing is brewing at this point. Even if the Cowboys add a veteran free agent at running back, they’ll probably plan on addressing the position in the draft.

Veteran guard Justin Blalock had a good visit with the Lions, and also continues to draw interest from the Rams and Titans, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. We heard earlier in the week that the former Falcons guard had a visit with the Rams on his docket, so perhaps he’s headed to St. Louis next.

]]>0FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knightonhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/fa-rumors-ravens-bush-knighton
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/03/fa-rumors-ravens-bush-knighton#respondThu, 12 Mar 2015 18:21:09 +0000http://pfr.traderumors.com/?p=14999Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..

Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).

Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.

Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.

Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.

The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.

There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitterlinks). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.

The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.

The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”

The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.

The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.

]]>0Hensley On Ravens: Thomas, Torrey Smith, Hillhttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/01/hensley-ravens-thomas-torrey-smith-hill
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/01/hensley-ravens-thomas-torrey-smith-hill#respondSun, 18 Jan 2015 16:45:35 +0000http://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=12571ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley’s latest mailbag includes his take on a number of issues facing the Ravens this offseason. Let’s dive in:

Hensley was asked what the most surprising development of the Ravens’ offseason would be, and he responded with his prediction that Baltimore will pursue a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in free agency. Such a move would represent a significant departure from the Ravens’ typically low-key approach to free agency, and the team currently does not have enough cap room to make such a splash, but Baltimore needs a big-bodied, athletic receiver to continue the offensive momentum it established under Gary Kubiak in 2014. Quarterback Joe Flacco has never had such a weapon at his disposal, and Hensley believes the time is right to bring in a player like Demaryius Thomas.

Of course, if the Ravens do make such a move, they may part ways with Torrey Smith and Marlon Brown may see a much-deserved increased role in the offense.

Echoing Conor Orr of NFL.com, Hensley writes that the Ravens are factoring restricted free agent Will Hill into their 2015 plans, and they hope he will win the starting free safety job. However,given the mediocre play of Matt Elam and Darian Stewart, strong safety is still a big question mark.

Even if Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb can remain healthy in 2015–a very big “if” considering their injury histories–Hensley believes the team’s biggest weakness is at cornerback, and he believes the Ravens should draft a corner in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.

Hensley does not see the team using the franchise tag this year.

]]>0AFC North Notes: Pettine, Stewart, Steelershttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2014/10/afc-north-notes-pettine-stewart-steelers
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2014/10/afc-north-notes-pettine-stewart-steelers#respondSun, 26 Oct 2014 00:25:56 +0000http://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=10027Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine’s history as a high school coach might be the reason he likes the success of undrafted free agents, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi notes that Pettine has often felt looked down upon because of his unheralded past, and sees a kinship with the underappreciated talents.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

The Browns have taken criticism for a lack of depth on the offensive line, but Grossi believes the injury to Alex Mack was an unforseen setback. He notes that the team’s linemen have rarely missed practice or game time, and that the timing of the injury was unfortunate with Nick McDonald getting back into game shape.

Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t necessarily see Darian Stewart sticking around after this season. The safety signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens in the offseason and if he wants to come back, it’ll probably be in a bench role. Baltimore will go with either Terrence Brooks or Will Hill at free safety next year. Stewart might balk at that idea or he may be okay with it given his history with secondary coach Steve Spangnuolo.

Two key contributors for the Steelers have struggled with consistency this season in cornerback Cortez Allen and linebacker Sean Spence. Allen was benched in favor of Brice McCain, but Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that the move was more to send a message to allen and reward McCain for positive performance in practice. Spence has not lost his starting spot, but that might only be because Vince Williams cannot cover anyone at linebacker.

]]>0AFC Notes: Ravens, Browns, Patriots, Chiefshttps://www.profootballrumors.com/2014/07/afc-notes-ravens-browns-patriots-chiefs
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2014/07/afc-notes-ravens-browns-patriots-chiefs#respondSun, 06 Jul 2014 23:08:48 +0000http://www.profootballrumors.com/?p=6524A frustrating year befell the 2013 Baltimore Ravens, unable to match the high expectations set after winning the Super Bowl the prior season. The offense sputtered behind the NFL’s worst rushing offense and inconsistent play from quarterback Joe Flacco, and an average defense couldn’t make up for the offensive deficiencies.

Stewart, with 19 starts in his four-year NFL career, looks to be the Week 1 starter opposite Matt Elam, Smolka writes. Juszczyk is a perfect fit in Gary Kubiak‘s offense and Jensen can play every position on the offensive line.

More news and notes from around the NFL…

As the fallout from the Josh Gordon saga continues, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer suggests the Browns offer the wideout an ultimatum: enroll in a full-time rehabilitation program in Cleveland right now, or be released. Pluto points out that Gordon’s problems have continued from his time at Baylor and Utah, and it’s time to truly figure out his interest in football.

Patriots first-round defensive tackle Dominique Easley is making progress in his recovery coming off two torn ACLs in college, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss, who provides a status update on each of the team’s nine draft picks. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, drafted in the second round, has taken advantage of an opportunity afforded to him by the limited availability of backup quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Chiefs rookie running back De’Anthony Thomas told NFL.com that he’s a player nobody’s ever seen step on the football field, according to Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. Thomas also set a number of goals for the season, including winning Rookie of the Year, leading the team in a number of offensive categories and going to the Super Bowl.